A/N: I kinda died a little inside, at a certain part. It's so dramatic. Oh, my heart. ;∆;All in all, I'm very excited, since these are the sole chapters I've been yearning to write for so long! Glad to say things have just been FLOWING off my fingertips~! Enjoy. Ooo ! I like the FF.net web update. Very nice!

Japanese Index:-sama: Honorific: The respectful equivalent of -san; -sama is primarily in addressing persons of much higher rank: Lord, Lady-san: Honorific: Carries the meaning of "Mr.," "Mrs.," "Miss," etc., but used more extensively in Japanese than its English equivalent

"Talking."'Thinking'Memories/ Flashbacks

Chapter 10: DefeatA sigh of relief settled within Munto's bated chest, as he watched the two young men drag Yumemi's body out from the confronted area. All throughout the fight, it had been a constant thorn of worry, in the back of his tussling mind.He returned his attention to Balthazar and shoved off his projecting body. Black boots skidded against the asphalt and each stood at a stalemate. "Let's finish this," he proclaimed."Agreed. Prepare yourself," the Ancient replied with seriousness and honed a large portion of Akuto from the air around them, to weave it into a single attack. Munto did the same.Crumbles of rock started to rise from the sheer force of their clashing, fiery energies.There was a battle cry, which ignited the final round, and both advanced forward at great speeds. The powerful collision knocked many soldiers off their feet, even when the shield around them eluded most of the momentum. Glass shattered the face of each surrounding building.Sparks flew, tearing flesh and cloth alike, while taut muscles screamed against the force. With unwavering perseverance, both continued to push forward.Balthazar then raised his left, elongated arm and called upon the skies above, summoning a mighty wave of lighting, which raided the unprepared king. He gave a howl, and searing electricity shocked his body, causing white rows of teeth to clatter painfully together. All remains of his attack diminished, alongside the tattooed rings of his strength. His right knee bent forward and onto the ground, in reluctant submission."I told you," the Ancient gave a snicker at Munto's sizzling form, which was twitching uncontrollably from the charged current. "Fear all comes to power, and I have the upper hand. Now, strip yourself from your title and recognize me as your true King."Thoughts ran like quicksilver, in attempts to find a loophole within the situation, but there were none this was the only solution. His jaw locked in conceit loathing and he gradually bowed his head low, locks of wildfire masking his twisted visage."Smarter than you appear," Balthazar approved with a click of his tongue. Then, a jarring string of chuckles started to crescendo from the man's pulled lips. "What is it?" he barked and knitted his hairless brows. "Cease that irritating laughter!" The Ancient saw smoldering amber reveal triumphant expectancy. "You haven't realized it yet, have you?" His wicked sneer vanished. "You have been conned, Balthazar. This battle is over." Munto stood, creating tendrils of power around his awakened form.Balthazar attempted to knock him down once more, with another electrifying attack, but no avail. It simply rolled off him like water upon plumage. The redhead continued to calmly advance forward, with a stoic expression. There was a fleeting, unsteady step backwards, on his part. What was this sinking feeling? What was so different from before?Once again, magical tattoos of the Outsider constricted around his limbs and held him steady. He struggled against the searing bonds. Onyx sockets went wide, and he attempted to hide his growing distress with a snarl. "Explain this blasphemy, boy!" Balthazar spat. Munto tilted his head slightly upward in defiance. "You really haven't realized it? It's Yumemi's power. Your downfall was decided the moment you absorbed her spirit. Someone such as you cannot withstand her wave."The magical ties around him tightened with each writhing movement. There was a cold shutter in his ribcage."You will be trapped in its essence and destroyed by its purity. All she needed was time and the extra strength." Munto's right hand shimmered with white fire and pressed flat on the man's thundering chest. "It is love, which will overcome all evil and hate," he repeated his mother's true words. *1The physical connection between him and Balthazar started to pulse with light. Just as she, skin and clothing flaked away on both royals, revealing the naked hearts of each counterpart; Munto encompassed in pale yellow, he, oozing black. Gossamer beams of Akuto streamed passed the cracks of his fracturing form. He was being ripped apart from the inside; he was breaking!Globs of ink splattered out of his snarling lips and fell onto Munto's extended arm with a hiss.Balthazar would not cry out in the sake of his shackled pride. "You bastard ! This isn't over!"Eyes of ruby narrowed and he pushed forward, into the endless cavity. "It's Munto-sama; not boy, not Young King, and most certainly not you," he replied blatantly.Within the distilled cold, a flicker of warmth quivered just out of his reach. Finally, he had found her. With tender movements, he took hold of Yumemi's spirit.An inhuman screech ripped from Balthazar's coiled mouth, as he pulled back. There was a whirlwind of force and spinning tunnel of light. A human form, one of a child, wove together. She had eyes of the ocean."You are one of the Fallen," Munto claimed with dawn understanding. "You guided me to her, previously." *2A small smile lifted her cupid lips. "I'll be returning us both to the time we belong. Please tell Yumemi-san thank you." Her warm irises shifted into fretting melancholy. "She is very weak. It took most of my strength to hold her mind together. Be careful."The king gave a curt nod in confirmation."Good bye. It has been a honor to finally meet the one she has spoke so fondly of," she breathed, and wrapped her petite arms around Balthazar's clawing chest. A veil distorted the clouded sky, to where they flew, and the space-time continuum closed with a blast of light.Munto turned his gaze forward and found the remains of Gntarl's body before him. His menacing eyes were now their original cunning brown; his wrinkled forehead, bare; the sign of dark magic, gone. They then softened with a heavy sigh and he closed his lids in defeat. The great Admiral disintegrated into glass shards and was tossed aside, in the wind, and became one with the cycle once more.

"What's happening?" the Commander at his side choked. "I thought he was giving up?" The red haired king had risen from his respectful position and advanced in a threatening demeanor. Suddenly, Balthazar looked nervous, and was captured once again within the tendril engravings, which marred Munto's skin, branding him with the power of an Outsider.Then, there was light. So much light, it was blinding. He had to shield his face and Kan's eyes widened in horror. There, all around, tan skin started to flake away and reveal the very soul of his being. He looked up; searching the other pale-stricken faces, and found various pigmented hues in his companions' irises.The Prime Minster turned towards the light. It was clear now. His once impaired vision was crystal clear. He heard a familiar voice, knowing it was the Magical King's, and another"You are one of the Fallen," Munto claimed. "You guided me to her, previously."The soft chime of a child echoed in his most intimate thoughts. "I'll be returning us both to the time we belong. Please tell Yumemi-san thank you." Her voice wavered into a wistful tone of melancholy. "She is very weak. It took most of my strength to hold her mind together. Be careful."There was a pause."Good bye," she breathed, her dialect turning airy once more. "It has been a honor to finally meet the one she has spoke so fondly of "The sky then rippled, engulfing the two fleeting souls, and ended with a blast of iridescent white. Speechless, all watched their enemy's body crumble away into particles of luster ash, as if he hadn't even existed. The light gradually diminished, and was withheld by Munto's shining figure.He stood there for a long moment, in a strange sense of mourning, for Gntarl was just another pawn in Balthazar's twisted game, and then shifted his attention above. There, a tiny jewel, a shard of hope, Yumemi's spirit descended from the Heavens and flickered to a dim orb of fire. Gently, he cupped her damaged spirit into his pale, ivory hands and she transformed to her human counterpart. She was weightless in his sturdy arms.With a click of his heel, the king made his way to where her hollow shell lay. Each step brought him back to the physical body of the living, like fleeting flames, as well as the other awed witnesses. His Outsider tattoos were now gone; the smoldering aura around him, doused.The unit of men parted in order to let Munto through, and remained silent to watch as he bent forward to place Yumemi's soul back with painstaking care, to where it was regularly stored. His Adam's apple bobbed once in apprehension. After being partially wiped, a blood-caked hand was then shoved into his pant pocket and revealed a small device, shaped in a smooth, flat oval.The iron sphere ignited with life, floated from his open palm and hovered over her, and released a harmless green beam of light, which ran from the girl's protected crown, to the tip of her toes, and back again. It gave readings upon her form, and made the information known in two holographic screens, one, which showed multiple charts of her spiritual and mental wavelengths, the other, her physical wounds.The first thing Munto worked on was removing Yumemi's helmet. He cracked his knuckles and neck with a satisfying pop. Bullion scanned the forms, which withheld foreign jargon, to the human eye, and then pushed the screen aside, to his left.Carefully, he wrapped his fingertips to each cupping shell surrounding her ears. His right hand turned clockwise, while the left, counter-clockwise. *3Iridescent veins flickered momentarily down the compressed area and diminished, allowing access with a soft click. The king's bated chest gave a sigh of relief, and he anxiously prepared himself once more, removing the metal visor shielding her closed, tear-streaked eyes. The heroic boy opposite of her right side leaned in closer to view Yumemi's passive face.The mauve helmet, encasing her bald cranium, split down the middle, and suddenly opened like a ripe, bearing fruit. All halted with a jump.Munto gave a demeaning click of his tongue, as he watched the clear tendrils seeping into her skull slowly retract into the protective padding. He tenderly rubbed one of the puncture wounds with the pad of his thumb and willed it to heal with his power.This was definitely work from the Heavenly Beings. He had experienced such technology, himself, when Guridori had him by the throat, encaged in bone, and sucked a portion of his energy dry, stealing the king's magical identity for his own.Next, was the hindering device upon her jawline. He coaxed the locks free, from the purple earphones, with a jiggle, and hooked a forefinger around the barred opening for her mouth. Irises took a reassuring side-glance at the scans once more, and it informed him that there was a breathing tube lodged within her throat, which cascaded down her two lungs.His right hand tightened the skin below her lobe, in order to relieve the pain, if only a small portion, and the left began to slowly pull. There was a muted, gagging noise, which choked from her chapped, blue mouth. The iron released its fangs from her jaw with ease, and he wrapped his idle palm around the long, plastic pipe. *4He recoiled with a hiss. The black substance burned!Teeth grit and faithfully endured the pain for her sake. It was unimaginable to visualize what she had to withstand. He, himself, had only viewed a small portion; which was already horrifying, in itself.Oozing droplets splattered as he tossed the contraption away. Oddly, there was no searing reaction from the brave, young soldier, who retrieved her body, or Yumemi. So, it was a matter of Akuto, then.Now that all frontal obstacles were out of the way, he found, with much relief, the rest of her headgear had unlocked on its own. The torn tail, which previously held her weapon, still remained sewn to her bare, marred nape. Munto raised the back of her crown and removed the helmet from under, gently placing it on the cushion surface he had made with his tattered cape.The five pads of his fingertips brought the readings back into his keen sight and he continued to scan the holographic information. He gave a disapproving shake of his head. 'This can't be done here.' The twisted armor interfering with her spinal column would have to be done surgically back home. The king switched screens and soaked in the interfering obstacles they revealed. Her spirit had managed to return to her body, however, was physically too weak to remove whatever was blocking her air cavity; so, it retracted to a state of hibernation. He once again pushed the holographic screen aside.If he didn't get oxygen to her lungs soon, her still heart would remain just that: unmoving. Nimble hands went to her shoulders and began to detach the plated armor protecting her clad, supple chest and upper torso.Then, he bent forward and breathed life into the girl. No response. Munto pushed his palms once, twice, three times against her ribcage, and repeated the process."Come on," he murmured in encouragement. "Come on." Again, the king was in vain. "Come on !" his voice escalated slightly in panic, feeling the pit of his stomach plummet.Not again.A left fist hit the Earth in frustration. "Breathe, Yumemi! Come on!"Fingers ripped the dark material, exposing the beginning dip of cleavage, and pushed once again with a tremor of desperation. There was a course of electrical current, which he exchanged from his body unto hers, like an igniting jump-start for the weary muscle.Her form gave a jolt, then stilled; jolt, and stilled once more. Nothing. Not even a twitch.His furrowed brow started to perspire with a cold sweat. "I know you're in there !" Munto hissed, mere inches from her pale face. "Don't you dare give up on me now, not after all this !" he choked. There was a strangling twist of pain in his chest.Against all his pride, tears started to prickle his golden vision. He tightened his jaw in order to mask the trembling movement it revealed."I NEED YOU, DAMMIT! BREATHE!" The king ordered and once again attempted to bring air into her unresponsive lungs. No avail.Someone looked down at their watch. The ticking hands read 4:23.Just as he was about to repeat the process, a hand grabbed him steady by the shoulder and prevented his frantic movements. Munto turned to see Prime Minister Kan's tired brown eyes. "Let her go," he rasped in a low, mournful whisper. He had witnessed this so many times. "It's over."The king narrowed his distorted gaze in a stubborn fashion. "She's not dead! Not yet!" he spat with a low jeer. "Look," Munto brought the screen to his perplex face and pointed to the wavelength chart of her heart and spirit. It rippled slightly when the pad came in contact. One graph showed a steady, active line, while the other was still."Her soul still remains. It's her mind, which cannot make that connection, due to its frail state," the king explained in harsh, snappy syllables. "I can't simply go in there and"Suddenly, amber eyes widened with revelation. He could. He has!Just like before, when Yumemi enclosed herself within her heart, because of the terrifying future Ryueri's mirror revealed, fearing that her two precious friends had diedHope expanded in his thundering chest, like a balloon, and he gave a firm squeeze to Naoto's left shoulder. "Thank you," he acknowledged with a humble smile and turned to shift his weight towards the motionless girl. Munto gently lifted her head, clasped the maroon fabric back to its proper place, and let her crown rest in his lap.With a flick of a wrist, the holograms multiplied and surrounded him in pairs of two, collecting the wavelength data of both counterparts.While he pressed several instructions into the screens, the king idly explained to both near men, "Make sure no one interrupts me while I'm in this state of comatose, understood?" Both gave a shaky nod of confirmation.With a series of deep breaths, Munto cleared his thoughts and attempted to even his rapid pulse. His hands hovered over each side of her vulnerable temple. He took one last glance at a particular grid, which captured the unique rhythm of her mind. The king would have to synchronize with the wavelength, in order to draw her out successfully.It would be much easier, if he could remove whatever barrier, which was protecting her heart from his. Sensing the echo of her emotions once again would make everything worthwhile.Without another thought, he resoluted his firm decision with a nod and closed his eyes once more. There was a shift in the air and he plunged into her mind

Kan gave a sympathetic sigh to the young man. It appeared as if he were only resting, dreaming, for the back of his lids twitched with movement, his red brows, knitting once in a while.He was still trying to digest the mind-blowing information, which this battle had revealed to him. Elves, magic, and time travel? Such mythical, out-of-this-world concepts were suddenly fact.He turned to the skinny boy compromising his own position. "That was very brave of you," the Prime Minister acknowledged. "Such a feat won't go unannounced."Tadaharu's brown eyes widened and he gave a low, formal bow. His short, raven hair brushed the ground. "It's an honor, sir. I was doing what only I thought was right."He gave a nod in approval, also showing his gratitude to Amasawa's older, protective companion.Hesitantly, the female news reporter Munto had rescued came up to him. "Excuse me," she started."Not right now, please," Kan evaded with a weary sigh. He was not in the mood to answer questions, while so many plagued his own."Not that, sir," she countered with a nervous bite to her red-painted lips. "I simply wanted to inform you that other news stations managed to sneak their way into the area, just before the battle. Should we send some kind of search party, to retrieve them?" Asako placed an attenuate hand at her peach-clad breast.His dark brows rose in surprise. "And none of you have a single warrant? That is illegal, under such supervision, you do realize that?" She flickered her guilty gaze downward in submission.He sighed once more, then sprung into action, and beckoned the Chief in Command over with a wave of his hand. "Send some of your boys over to search the fallen, while back-up makes their way. Have you called an ambulance, yet?""No, sir," he replied."Do so. Several. Ma'am" Kan turned his attention to the woman."Sir?""Do you have any idea how many are in the vicinity?" he inquired with haste.Her navy-blue eyes became apologetic. "No, sir. My van isn't in the best condition," she gave a nod to the distinctive area, to where the remains of the white vehicle lay. "However, Munto-sama did mention there were at least a handful here. Would you like me to call, in order to confirm the numbers?""Please do. Now" Suddenly, something caught the corner of his eye and he turned with a start. The unit followed his stricken gaze.There, two caped magicians, garbed in a similar fashion as the red haired king, were descending down from the Heavens. One man was clad in a blue white, the other, donned in olive green, black trappings, and khaki pants.Many of the soldiers blocked their path with armed weapons, when they touched down, while a few nervously retreated, when witnessing the sheer size of Shuza's gigantic frame. "We're allies of His Grace. We mean no harm," the large man calmly announced, raising a hand in opposition.The shorter elf at his side wasn't as patient, and shoved many of the resilient men aside.Kan ordered the soldiers to stand down and allow the two through.Shocking azure irises widened a fraction, as they drunk in the scene before him. "Munto!" Rui called out in worry and rushed towards his unconscious companion. There was no care in dirtying his pale linen pants, he got to his knees and offered his gaze towards the mutilated girl. "Yumemi-san ?" His lithe chest filled with genuine compassion. "Shuza. Hurry!" he ordered."Excuse me," he informed the scuffling boy at his left side, who was staring in wide wonderment. "No! Don't!" Amasawa exclaimed with an extended arm, halting his large hand, just before it was about to make contact with the man's back. "He said not to disturb him!""It's alright," Shuza said with a warm smile. "I'm a Healer."The boy gave a reluctant nod, and watched as he measured the energy levels of their king."What happened here?" Rui snapped his head towards Kan, "Did you do this?" furrowing his pale brows dangerously.The Prime Minster was taken aback. Then, a simmer of anger bubbled to the surface. "No!""General Rui," Shuza barked, his soft irises now hard. The tan, rough scar, which crossed his right temple to left cheek, crinkled in displeasure. "You will calm yourself. I doubt Ryueri-sama requested us here so you can carelessly point fingers. You of all people know such accusations causes war."Rui's twisted visage melted into a pensive façade of authority. Even as a child, he had always lost his cool when his dear friend was hurt.Swallowing thickly, he apologized for his actions. "Forgive me," he turned to Kan. "That was very rude and uncalled for, on my part. It's just unsettling to see him like this.""Even the greatest leaders can fall. However, I'm sure he will be all right," he quietly murmured and introduced himself with a bow. "Kan Naoto, Prime Minster of Japan.""Rui, General and Right Hand of the Magical Kingdom," the blue haired man complied, casting a pallid hand at the doctor, who was engulfed in the holographic scripts. "This is Shuza, the finest physician of our lands."He raised his comprehensive, clover eyes, focusing passed the sheets of green, and nodded in recognition."Now," Rui turned towards him, the mask lifting slightly to reveal an expression of worry. "Please, can you explain what happened?"Kan's bated chest heaved, fingers squirming to grasp his dirty, grey pants. "Well " he struggled to form the proper words. "It started three days ago, the eve, where I had received a call from your Lord "

A/N: Is it strange that I feel sorry for Gntarl? Really, even in the second OVA, if you look at it, he was risking his life and title, in order to nab 'Memi, since that was the only option into saving the Heavens. Of course, he wasn't very graceful about it. Then he just got whiny in the last movie, and suddenly became a pedobear.I believe Rui is just as clingy to Munto, as Ichiko is to 'Memi. (Reflection theme, plz.) Borderline affectionate, but definite bromance. >8I Shuza would be a good grounder for him, like Suzume. Under that mask isn't just suave.I admit, several movies and plots were pieced together to inspire this chaotic puzzle of angst. Here are a few familiar titles: 300 (Kneeling scene.), Ah! My Goddess the Movie (Oh, let me rip your power away, Yumemi, as well as the visualization to how their inner spirits flow.), DBZ (Action influence, in general.), Elfin Lied (For her helmet design and tears moment, as well as overall location this takes place at, in Minato Mirai.), Disney's Hercules (Badass spirit-glowy-fied scene.), The first and forth InuYasha movies (The whole concept of fighting against a loved-one, unwillingly, as well as Lightning strike!), Rurouni Kenshin: Jin-eh and Shishio's battle (A general, helpful tip with hypnotism and battle sequence.), Velf's Spirited Away fanfiction, Enchantment of the Heart, along with Tripleguess's Munto fanfiction sequel, To Wake (CPR scene.), And, lastly, X-Men the first movie (Just the main image positionment, to when Munto is about to dive into Yumemi's mind.)Oh, and my twisted noggin.Thank you, respective owners and helpful tip sites, for igniting this battle piece. It was very difficult to do, but I'm quite proud with the results! C: Please lend me some feedback, at least on the emotional intensity of it all, if you can. See you in another ten days!

Ari chan 6/5/12

*1: This is explained in one of the extended scenes of the third movie: 10:24: www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqDdSx…"The almighty power bred by Human's spirits that created the Heavens, Akuto. If one who has no feeling tries to get the power, he'll be trapped in it and be destroyed. If he's wrong about its essence, he'll be confused. Only one who knows the truth will understand himself "(The remaining translations are in the description.)*2: Just to clarify things, Mayu is the nameless flower girl within the intro of the last movie, which can be viewed on the link above, at 4:21. She was able to guide Munto through his and Yumemi's psychic connection, since she was protecting the blonde's heart/ mind. Explanations will be confirmed in about four or five chapters.*3: There is actually some symbolism in this movement:Throughout the four of his "visits," in the first OVA, Munto constantly ordered for Yumemi's power, reaching towards her with his right hand. He was always pushing forward. He hadn't the ability to use that palm, in the last incident, and was forced to use his left. In this moment, he had to reply solely on her strength, and turn the other cheek turning backward when the continuum revealed both of their haunting pasts, if that makes any sense. Yeah, I'm strange. *4: If any of you were curious to why she wasn't bleeding, it was partially because of the technology; in a sense, it fused as a part of her system, as well as the fact that her heart wasn't exactly pumping blood. (That doesn't mean the fluid simply stops, without the muscle working, it still pours from the wound, but you get my point, right?)* 5: Here is an old scene scenario concept to this chapter, to where she "dies": red-winged-angel.deviantart.co…*6: A past AMV I made with the featured songs:Breath: www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTlicM…Start Again: www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgHRDe…Out From Under: www.youtube.com/watch?v=imas7w…